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Awarded DCM or not?

 
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Kenneth Morrison



Joined: 29 Sep 2008
Posts: 7749
Location: Rockcliffe Dalbeattie

PostPosted: Sun Jul 17, 2016 6:41 pm    Post subject: Awarded DCM or not? Reply with quote

A WW2 question/puzzle.

The Dumfries and Galloway Standard, on 18 January 1941 reported that two men had been awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal.
One, James Morgan of the 5th Seaforth Highlanders, I can trace in the London Gazette but the other, Thomas Kennedy of the 5th King's Own Scottish Borderers, I cannot find.

He had in fact died (of natural causes) on 30 December 1940 and is buried in Dumfries.
CWGC record him as Private Thomas Kennedy (3188733) 5th KOSB.

The newspaper reports that he was the son of Mr & Mrs David Kennedy of Springholm and that he was a member of the Dumfries Territorials. (the 5th was a TF Battalion)
Springholm is a village just to the west of Dumfries and he is named on the village War Memorial.

My question is, would the award have been withdrawn/not made because of his death?
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Adam Brown
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Joined: 14 Dec 2006
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Location: Edinburgh (From Sutherland)

PostPosted: Tue Jul 19, 2016 11:00 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

DCMs could be awarded posthumously so that would not have been a reason.

Does it give any indication as to why they were awarded? 5th KOSB did serve in the 2nd BEF in France in June 1940 but 5th Seaforth did not go overseas until 1942.

Thanks

Adam
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David McNay
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PostPosted: Tue Jul 19, 2016 2:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

There are no citations matching these details on the National Archives Discovery site.
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Kenneth Morrison



Joined: 29 Sep 2008
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Location: Rockcliffe Dalbeattie

PostPosted: Tue Jul 19, 2016 3:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Adam - the London Gazette: 18 October 1940 Supplement: 34973 Page: 6110
No.2823589 Private James Morgan, The Seaforth Highlanders.
There are two further DCM's for Sergeants Murdo Mackenzie 2817828 and Sergeant Donald MacLeod 2818541.
According to the Recommendations for Honours and Awards Index, 1935-1990 at the National Archives they were all of the 4th Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders.

The newspaper got that wrong, who'd have thought?
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apanderson
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PostPosted: Tue Jul 19, 2016 9:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Who'd have thought right enough Ken!

How many times have we scoured the Gazette for apparently ficticious awards?

Anne Rolling Eyes
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Adam Brown
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PostPosted: Thu Jul 21, 2016 10:04 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Maybe we should give the newspaper a little credit. Morgan would have been awarded his DCM for service in the 4th Seaforth during the retreat to St Valery but it was not reformed after the surrender in June 1940.

If Morgan was one of the 4th Seaforth men who got away - and a fair few did from the beaches east of St Valery - then he would have been sent to the 5th Seaforth which absorbed the remnants of the 4th Bn.

So he would have earned it for service in the 4th Bn but was in the 5th Bn when it was reported.

Adam
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